Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS San Joaquin Valley, CA
Issued by NWS San Joaquin Valley, CA
736 FXUS66 KHNX 262347 AAA AFDHNX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 346 PM PST Tue Nov 26 2024 ...Update to Air Quality Issues Section... .KEY MESSAGES... 1. A winter storm system will continue to impact Central California through Wednesday morning. Widespread precipitation will continue through this evening then gradually diminish overnight. 2. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the Sierra Nevada above 7000 feet until 4 PM Wednesday. The probability of receiving another 12 inches of snow by Wednesday morning is above 90 percent for higher elevations in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 3. Gusty winds will continue across the Mojave Slopes and Kern County Desert through tonight where a Wind Advisory remains in effect until 4 AM PST Wednesday. Southwest wind gusts up to 55 mph are expected, strongest along the Mojave Slopes where the probability for gusts of 45 mph or higher is up to 67 percent. 4. Drier weather with near seasonable temperatures will prevail from Thanksgiving Day well into next week. Night and morning fog will be possible each day in the San Joaquin Valley. && .DISCUSSION...The large upper low which had been situated off the PAC NW coast for several days is now moving inland across the PAC NW. This had resulted in an atmospheric river type system being pulled through central CA which brought moderate to locally heavy precipitation to much of our CWFA last night and today. Some impressive precipitation totals have been received with much of the central and eastern portions of the San Joaquin Valley picking up between 0,75 and 1.50 inches of rainfall and 1 to 3 inches of rainfall over much of the Sierra foothills. Several SNOTEL stations over the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada picked up 1 to 2 feet of snow as of this morning and have since picked up additional snowfall. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the Sierra Nevada above 7000 feet where an additional foot of snow is possible through tonight. The other noticable impact that the low passing north of our area has been increased winds across the Mojave Desert slopes and Kern County Deserts where several stations have picked up gusts exceeding 35 mph and a few ridge top locations have measured gusts of 50 mph or higher. The increased winds are expected to continue until Wednesday morning when onshore gradients relax after the low to our north moves further inland. The departure of the upper low will also result in the precipitation tapering off to showers through this evening and diminishing overnight and Wednesday morning. Ensemble members are in excellent agreement in showing a rex block pattern setting up across the eastern Pacific by Thanksgiving Day and shifting slowly eastward during the holiday weekend and inland into the western CONUS early next week. This will result in a period of dry conditions prevailing across our area with seasonable temperatures. The main concern for the holiday weekend across our area will be the potential for dense fog each night and morning in the San Joaquin Valley with plenty of low level moisture remaining from the recent rains, light winds and mainly clear skies. The fog has the potential to disrupt holiday travel. DESI HREF is indicating a 20 to 30 percent probability for visibility below 1 mile in the center portion of the San Joaquin Valley on Thanksgiving morning. && .AVIATION...Over the next 24 hours, low clouds and precipitation will result in widespread mountain obscuring IFR conditions across the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains overnight then upslope clouds will continue widespread mountain obscuring IFR conditions after 12Z Wed. Areas of MVFR in low clouds and rain across the San Joaquin Valley with local IFR conditions overnight then low clouds and mist will produce areas of MVFR and local IFR conditions after 12Z Wed. VFR conditions will prevail across the Kern County Deserts. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... On Wednesday November 27 2024, Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning Status is: Burning Discouraged in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare Counties, and Kern (Greater Frazier Park Area) and Sequoia National Park and Forest. && .CERTAINTY... The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium. The level of certainty for days 3 through 7 is medium. Certainty levels include low...medium...and high. Please visit www.weather.gov/hnx/certainty.html for additional information and/or to provide feedback. && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 4 AM PST Wednesday for CAZ337>339. Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST Wednesday for CAZ323- 326>331. && $$ public...DAS aviation....BSO weather.gov/hanford